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Design · head to head

Corel Painter vs Procreate

C

Corel Painter

Design

Digital painting software that emulates natural media brushes and textures

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Procreate logo

Procreate

Design

Digital illustration app made for iPad

From
$12.99/one-time
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Corel Painter sold as a one-time perpetual license per major version, requiring paid upgrades for new releases unlike subscription competitors.; Procreate iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • They diverge on capability: Corel Painter covers Natural-Media Brush Engine, Procreate covers Digital painting.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Corel Painter and Procreate actually diverge.

Attributes where Corel Painter and Procreate differ
AttributeCorel PainterProcreate
Starting priceOn request$12.99/one-time
Pricing modelone-timeUnknown
Platformswindows, maciPad
FoundedUnknown2010

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Design).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Corel Painter

  • Natural-Media Brush Engine
  • Custom Brush Creation
  • Canvas Textures
  • Photo Painting Tools
  • Layer Support

Only in Procreate

  • Digital painting
  • Brush library
  • Layer management
  • Selection tools
  • Time-lapse recording
  • Apple Pencil
  • iPad Pro
  • Cloud services

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Corel Painter

  • Digital painting that mimics traditional medianot Procreate
  • Concept art and illustrationnot Procreate
  • Converting photographs into painted artworknot Procreate
  • Custom brush development for artistsnot Procreate

Procreate

  • Digital illustrationnot Corel Painter
  • Concept artnot Corel Painter
  • Character designnot Corel Painter
  • Educational artnot Corel Painter
  • Hobby drawingnot Corel Painter

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Corel Painter

  • Sold as a one-time perpetual license per major version, requiring paid upgrades for new releases unlike subscription competitors.
  • Interface and brush engine have a steeper learning curve than more streamlined tools like Procreate.
  • No official mobile or tablet-native version, limiting use to desktop Windows and Mac.
  • Performance can lag with very large, texture-heavy brushes compared to lighter tools.

Procreate

  • iPad-only application with no desktop version for Windows or macOS
  • Requires Apple hardware investment (iPad and Apple Pencil)
  • Cannot export to cloud storage natively, limiting cross-device workflows
  • High upfront cost when accounting for required iPad hardware

Pricing, plan by plan

Corel Painter

On request
  • Full License$undefined/mo
    • Perpetual license for current major version
    • Desktop app for Windows and Mac
  • Upgrade$undefined/mo
    • Discounted upgrade pricing for existing Painter owners

Procreate

$12.99/one-time
  • Procreate$12.99/one-time
    • 200+ brushes
    • Unlimited layers
    • Advanced blending modes
  • Procreate Pocket$5.99/one-time
    • iPhone version
    • Touch-optimized interface
  • Procreate Dreams$19.99/one-time
    • Animation tool
    • Frame-by-frame animation

Which should you pick?

Choose Corel Painter if

  • You need natural-media brush engine.
  • You work on windows, mac.
  • You also want custom brush creation.
Corel Painter review

Choose Procreate if

  • You need digital painting.
  • You work on iPad.
  • You also want brush library.
Procreate review

Questions people ask

Is Corel Painter or Procreate better?
Neither clearly leads. Corel Painter starts at On request and Procreate at $12.99/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Corel Painter or Procreate?
Corel Painter starts at On request and Procreate at $12.99/one-time.
Does Corel Painter or Procreate run on more platforms?
Corel Painter runs on windows, mac. Procreate runs on iPad.
What is Corel Painter best used for?
Corel Painter is most often used for digital painting that mimics traditional media, concept art and illustration, converting photographs into painted artwork, custom brush development for artists. Of those, digital painting that mimics traditional media and concept art and illustration are not what Procreate is typically brought in for.
What can Corel Painter do that Procreate cannot?
Corel Painter covers Natural-Media Brush Engine, Custom Brush Creation, Canvas Textures, Photo Painting Tools. Procreate covers Digital painting, Brush library, Layer management, Selection tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Procreate: Does Procreate work on desktop or only iPad?

Procreate is iPad-only. There is no desktop version for Windows or macOS, requiring users to purchase iPad hardware and Apple Pencil for use.

Source
Procreate: What companion apps are available for Procreate?

Procreate Pocket is an iPhone version at $5.99, and Procreate Dreams is an animation tool at $19.99, both one-time purchases.

Source
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